Heel-clamp



D. H. FINBERG.

HEEL CLAMP. APPLICATION msn mm. l. |920.

1,365,675. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

D. H. HNBERG.

HEEL CLAMP. APPUCATIUN FILED MAR. l. 1920.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.v

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID H. FINBERG, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HEEL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 18, 1921.

Application led March 1, 1920. Serial No. 362,292.

To all 'whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. FINBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heel-Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The present invention is directed to `improvements in shoe-heel clamps, and particularl to clamps for holding in position metallic (aluminum) heels equipped with nails or prongs designed to be driven into and through the insole of the shoe and subsequently clenched thereto. The object oit' the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and durable clamp for holding the heel during the clenching of the nails to the insole. A further object is to provide a clamp the jaws of which will automatically separate and thus loosen their hold on the heel when the member (a cam in the present improvement) by which the jaws are drawn to gripping engagement with the heel 1s thrown to releasing position. The advantages of the improvement will be fully apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of the clamp showing one form thereof applied to the heel of a shoe; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section` on the line Q-2 of Fig. 1 showing the nails of the heel as initially driven through the insole; Fig. 3 is a similar section showin the nails as finally clenched to the inso e and showing the heel in close contact with the outsole of the shoe; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the clamp detached; Fig. 5 is a top plan of the clamp with a portion of the felt liner removed and showing the cam lever swung to locking position; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sec tion on the line 6--6`of Fig. 5; 7 is a side elevation of the clamp viewed from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1, and with the stem or bolt carrying the cam-lever removed; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the heel with the upper portion thereof in section; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the shoe inverted and applied to the block or last at the beginning of the operation by which the heel is secured to the shoe; Fig. 10 is a perspective of the cam lever showing a portion of the stem or bolt to which said cam is pivoted; Fig. l1 isa-section on the order of the sections in Figs. 2 and 3, showing a modification of the invention wherein the cam is located adjacent the movable jaw of the clamp; and Fig. l2 is a top plan of the clamp showing such modified construction.

Refer-rinor to the drawings, and for the present to iigs. l to l() inclusive, S, represents the upper of a conventional shoe for women, C, the counter of the shoe, H, the heel, a, the insole, o the filler, and c the outsole, all as fully understood in the art, the parts referred to being shown more or less conventionally and without any attempt at details. As well understood in the art, the upper enlarged end of the heel (which is of aluminum or equivalent material) is provided with nails or prongs a preferably cast into the heel, the heel being initially attached to the shoe by mounting the shoe in an inverted position over a wooden block B (serving as a last for the heel portion of the shoe) secured to a bench or table T, then applying the heel thereto, and with a mallet or hammer striking the bottom or lift Z of the heel whereby the nails a are driven through the layers c, b, a, and partly into the block B (Fig. 9). This operation however does not drive the nails their full limit, but suiiiciently to hold the heel to the shoe to enable the operator to proceed with the subsequent steps involved in securing the heel permanently to the shoe. The nails n are not so securely embedded in the block B but what they may be readily withdrawn therefrom by a slight upward pull on the shoe as the latter is being removed from the block. The shoe with the heel thus loosely attached is now ready for the subsequent operations in which the improved clamp plays an important part.

The clamp comprises a base plate 1 adapted to be secured say to the bench T in close proximity to the block B, or at any other point convenient to the operator, said plate being provided with a post 2 forming the base ,of the stationary clamp section or jaw t, the latter being curved to conform to the contour of the side and rear portions of the heel H, said post being freely traversed by a pin or bolt 3 one end of which is rigidly secured to the relatively movable clamp section or jaw t forming the upper terminal of the post 2', the jaw t likewise being contoured to the shape of the side and rear portions of the heel whereby when the j aw t is pulled toward the jaw t, the heel will be iirmly clamped between the jaws. Preferably, the inner heel-engaging surfaces of the jaws are lined with felt lt or equivalent material to prevent injury to the heel. `rThe post or leg 2 of the movable or adjustable jaw t rides in a depression or groove e formed between the ribs 5, 5, leading` from the bottom of the post 2, said ribs being cast as a part of the base plate 1. As previously stated, the pin or bolt 3 freely traverses the post 2, an opening or passage-way i being formed at the top or' the post for that purpose (Fig. 7). The free end of the bolt 3 or that proj ecting beyond the outer face of the post 2 is provided with a cam 4lpivoted thereto about the fulcrum pin p (F ig. l0) the cam being provided with a handle or lever m, the whole constituting` as-it were, a cam-lever. It is apparent from the Yforegoing that by swinging the lever m in proper direction (to the right in Fig. 5) the cam edge of the cam will ride over the outer face oiI the post 2 and pull the bolt 3 outwardly, thus drawing the jaw toward the jaw t and gripping the heel previously inserted between the jaws (Fig. l). .By swinging the lever m in the opposite direction (dotted position 5) the bolt 3 is left free to be pulled bach to its original position allowing the jaws to separate and the shoe to become released. This of course may be done by hand, but in my present improvement the separation ot the jaws (and the consequent release of the heel) is accomplished automatically when the Cain edge of the cam is rotated out of engagement with the post 2, by an expanding spring 3 coiled about the bolt 3 and interposed between the aws, the ends of the spring being received by pockets 0, 0, formed on the inner faces of the aws around the bolt. 0f course, when the cam draws the jaw t toward the jaw t, the spring is compressed; when the cam is rotated to proper position to release its pull on the jaw t,the spring automatically forces the jaw t away from the jaw t in proportion to the releasing action of the cam, the jaws starting to separate the moment the cam starts to release its pull on the movable jaw t. The front portions of the jaws are formed with inwardly turned lips fw,'w, which close over the sides of the breast of the heel when the latter is held grippe-:l between the jaws.

After the heel lvl has been initially secured to the shoe upper as indicated in Fig. 9, the shoe with the heel thus loosely attached is removed from the block B, and the heel with the shoe held in upright position inserted between the jaws t, t', between which it is held tightly gripped by the proper manipulation of the cam-lever m. as above described. ln order to insure the nails /i beingl driven their full limit through the layers-.1 u, (i, e, and the coinpacting of said la rs at the heel portion oi: the shoe, Yhe operi L.tor (the heel being rigidly clamped in position) with one hand places the end ot a short tube l over the projectingends ot the several nails n. (Fig. 2) and with a. hammer il. in the other hand strikes the upper end oi' the tube, thereby drivingthe layers a., l), c, well against the top of the heel, the nails being wrrespoiidingly driven through said layer.-` into the bore of the tube. 'lhereupom and with the heel still clamped in position, the operator puts aside the tube l), and with one hund applies one end eil' a solid bar l against the projecting ends ol` the nails. holding the, bar at a slight incline inwardly (Fig. il), whereupon he applies a hannner to the upper end of the rod causing the ends o l' the na ils` to be clenched outwardly against the` insole u. this operation serving to permanently ser'ure the heel to the shoe. Ry then loosening the movable jaw, the shoe with its heel is removed, and a 'fresh shoe with its heel partly attached, treated in like manner.

The jaws or clamp sections fr, t', as will be seen `-from liig. l, are disposed on opposite sides of a transverse plane through the axis ol: the bolt Sl at right angles to the base plate l. the major portions ol the aws being forward ot said plane` said forward portions gripping the heel just above the li'l't d, tbe bolt being rearward of the rear medial con Vlaved portion of the heel. The upper edges; oi the clamp formations or jaws t, t', occupy a position contiguous to, and slightly below.y the plane ot the upper end oinv the heell when in the clamp, said edges serving as abutments or supports for the upper end o'l` the heel when the nails n are being clenched against the. insole7 so that the upper portions oi`A the heel are well supported and reinforced while under the blows ol' the haininer operating on the bar F by which the elenching is effected. The heel being ,eenerally of aluminum or some light alloy thereoi". is more or less sott, and hence requires support along its upper portions while under the blows of the hammer. The. heel is preferably inserted .in position by passing the 'shoe horizontally and rearwardly between the jaws, it being only necessary to separate the jaws suliieiently to permit the back et the heel to pass the lips fw, w.

ln the embodiment oft the invention illustrated in the figures referred to.y it will be observed that the cam l is on the side ot the iixed or stationary jaw ii, the bolt i, being secured to the movable jaw t and playing` freely through the opening 'i ol the iixed jaw. This is the preferred construction. l may however secure the bolt to the till fllll .life

vnecesaria fixed jaw t, allowing the movable jaw t to play freely overk said bolt, and pivot the cam to the free end of the bolt on the side of the movable jaw. Such a modification is shown in Figs. 11 and 12, where the bolt or bar 3 is secured at one end to the jaw t, the reduced portion of the bolt playing through the opening z" of the movable jaw t', the cam 4 with its lever arm m being pivoted to the bolt ad'acent the outer face of the movable jaw. n other respects the construction is the same as the first form described, like parts being identified by the same reference numerals and letters. In the modified construction it is apparent that by swinging the lever m in one direction the jaw t is pushed toward the fixed jaw t, and with a reverse movement the spring 6 will automatically force the jaw t' outwardly as fast as the cam ed e of the cam rotates away from the jaw. he first form described is the preferred construction as in practice it is found that in placing the cam against the movable jaw it is apt to work loose from the jaw during the hammering operation due to the jarring suffered b the movable jaw. The cam (4, 4,) here s own is essentially an eccentric, but any suitable cam formation may be substituted for that shown without departing from the nature or spirit of the invention. As well understood in the art, the heel is an article of manufacture complete in itself` and may be applied to a womans shoe by any shoe maker or dealer having the necessary uppers to which the heel is suitable. So too, any ladys shoe may be readily repaired by at taching thereto a new heel. The details shown may obviously be departed from without affecting the nature or spirit of the invention. For example, while the coper j ating surfaces between the outer face of the jaw and the cam necessitate the rotation of the cam in a plane parallel to the axis of the r bolt 3 (3'), I do not wish to exclude fora member pivoted on the bar adjacent theouter face of one of the jaws for causing one of the jaws to be moved toward the opposite jaw with a rotation of said member in a given direction.

2. A heel-clamp comprising a pair of jaws movable relatively to and from one another and contoured to jointly embrace the sides of a shoeheel held between them, a bar lead-- ing from one of the jaws and passed loosely through and projecting beyond the opposite 'aw, and a cam on the projecting end of the ar engaging the outer face of the adjacent jaw for moving the jaws toward one another with a movement of the cam in one direction.

3. A hee`1clamp comprising a pair of jaws movable relatively to and from one another and contoured to jointly embrace and hold a shoe-heel between them, a bar leading from one of the jaws and passed loosely through and projecting beyond the opposite jaw, an expansion spring encircling the bar between the jaws and having its terminals bearing against the jaws, and a cam on the free end of the bar engaging the outer face of the adjacent jaw for moving the jaws toward one another with a movement of the cam in one direction.

4.-. A heel-clamp comprising a pair of jaws movable relatively to and from one another and contoured to jointly embrace the sides of a shoe-heel held between them, a bolt secured to one of the jaws and passed loosely through and projecting beyond the opposite jaw, means between the jaws for normally keeping the jaws separated, and a pivoted cam on the free end of the bolt engaging the outer face ofthe adjacent jaw and operating to bring the jaws together and lock the same against a separating movement.

5. A heel-clamp comprising a base plate, a fixed jaw rigidly secured thereto, a guideway leading from the base of the jaw along the base plate, a movable jaw traversing said guide-way, a bolt secured to the movable jaw and extending parallel to ysaid guide-way, but in an opposite direction thereto, loosely through the fixed jaw and projecting beyond said jaw, a pivoted cam on the projecting end of the bolt engaging the outer face of the xed jaw and operating with a rotation in a given direction to pull on the bolt and draw the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw and lock the movable jaw against a return movement, and an exJ pansion spring encircling the bolt between the jaws and having its free ends bearing against the inner faces of the jaws for automatically forcing the movable jaw from the fixed jaw with a'rotation of the cam in the opposite" direction.

6. A heel-clamp comprising a base plate, a clamp section carried thereby, a guide-way on the base plate leading from the clamp section aforesaid, a relatively movable clamp section provided with a post or leg traversing said guideway, a bolt or bar leading from one of the clamp sections and passing loosely through the opposite section, said bolt being parallel to the guide-way aforesaid, a cam on the bolt engaging the outer face of the clamp section loosely traversed by the bolt for actuating the movable section in one direction, and a spring for normally forcing the clamp-sections apart or in zt direction opposite to their actuation by the cam, the heel-engaging portions of the clamp sections being disposed on opposite sides of a transverse plane through the axis of the bolt at right angles to the base plate.

n testimony whereof I :ifiix my signature,

Witnesses EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. WICHEL. 

